1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to sulfated hydroxyalkyl polyethylene and hydroxyalkyl polypropylene glycol ethers and mixtures thereof, to a process for the production of these compounds and mixtures thereof, and to their use as wetting agents and raw materials for detergent compositions.
2. Statement of Related Art
Hydroxyalkyl polyethylene glycol and hydroxyalkyl polypropylene glycol ethers corresponding to general formula (I) ##STR2## are known from the prior art. Thus, U.S. Pat. No. 4,600,523 describes compounds corresponding to general formula (I), in which R.sup.1 is a linear C.sub.6 -C.sub.16 alkyl radical,
R.sup.2 is a linear or branched C.sub.4 -C.sub.8 alkyl radical, PA0 R.sup.3 is hydrogen or a C.sub.1 -C.sub.8 alkyl radical, PA0 R.sup.4 is hydrogen and PA0 n has a value of 7 to 12, PA0 with the proviso that the total number of carbon atoms in R.sup.1 and R.sup.3 is between 6 and 16, PA0 R.sup.2 is a linear or branched, saturated C.sub.1 -C.sub.22 alkyl radical, PA0 R.sup.3 is hydrogen or a linear C.sub.1 -C.sub.16 alkyl radical, PA0 R.sup.4 is hydrogen or a methyl group, PA0 M represents hydrogen, ammonium, alkylammonium, alkanolammonium, in which the alkyl and alkanol radicals each contain from 1 to 4 carbon atoms, or a monovalent metal atom, and PA0 n has a value of from 1 to 30, PA0 with the proviso that the total number of carbon atoms in R.sup.1 and R.sup.3 is between 6 and 16, PA0 R.sup.5 is a linear or branched C.sub.10 -C.sub.16 alkyl radical, PA0 X is a number of from 0 to 10, and PA0 A represents ammonium ion, a mono-, di- or tri-alkanolammonium ion having from 2 to 4 carbon atoms in the alkanol radicals, an alkali metal ion, or a magnesium ion equivalent. PA0 R.sup.5 is preferably a linear primary C.sub.12 -C.sub.14 alkyl radical. In these mixtures the weight ratio of sulfated hydroxy mixed ethers (II) to fatty alcohol (polyglycol) ether sulfates (V) is in the range of from 10:90 to 90:10, and preferably in the range of from 10:90 to 50:50. PA0 WAS=washing-active substance (sulfonate and sulfate component); PA0 AS=active substance (dry residue minus inorganic salts and unsulfated fractions); PA0 US=unsulfonated component; PA0 DS=degree of sulfonation; PA0 DR=dry residue.
and the use of these compounds as foam inhibitors for low-foam cleaning preparations.